by Kit Tunstall
He opened one of the doors slowly, as if he had all the time in the world, strolling through in the same manner. He stumbled for just a moment at the sight of Madison sitting at the table, dinner already laid out. It was so domestic, and so alien, that it took his breath away. His personal companions rarely joined him before bedtime and were always gone by morning. Only the companions he selected on his travels had dinner with him or stayed in his bed, and that was usually a strategy he employed to put them at ease and get somewhat acquainted before sex.
She looked right in his room, a black nightgown with a plunging V-neck skimming her curves. One of the straps had slipped off her shoulder in an enticing fashion, but he didn’t think it was a deliberate attempt to induce desire. Judging by her cool look, she was going to make him work for it.
He stripped off his uniform jacket, hanging it on a hook by the door before walking over to join her. “Good evening, Madison.”
“Hello.”
A man could catch a cold from that tone. He had to bite back a grin. “You look lovely.”
She granted him a patently false smile. “Thank you. It was the least revealing of the completely unsuitable clothes Cleo brought me.”
Tiernan allowed a small smile. “Don’t blame her. She was simply doing as I directed.”
“Commanded, don’t you mean?” she asked in a saccharine tone.
Lifting a shoulder, he said, “Same difference.” After pulling out a chair, he sat down to join her. “Thank you for having dinner waiting.”
“Again, that was Cleo.” Her expression let him know she’d rather starve alongside him than go out of her way to ensure he ate. It made him want to chuckle, which surprised him. He hadn’t expected to enjoy the sulking.
He lifted his fork, and she did the same after a moment. After a couple of bites, he asked, “Did you settle in nicely?”
“Uh huh.”
Another bite, another question, to which she replied, “Fine.” The pattern continued until Tiernan found his enjoyment of their clash fading, quickly replaced by irritation. They were barely halfway through their plates when he’d had enough.
Putting down his fork, he pushed back his chair and stood up. “Since you clearly have no interest in polite conversation over dinner, let’s dispense with this.”
Eyes wide, she put down the fork she’d been holding. “What?”
His harsh laugh made her jump. “Another monosyllable. I’d ask if you’re doing it deliberately to piss me off, but I already know the answer.”
A hint of defiance sparkled in her eyes, and she tilted up her chin. “Fine.” She rose and started to turn from him, but stopped when he put his hands on her arms.
“Let’s go straight to dessert.” He hesitated, waiting for her refusal, but she stayed still. Slowly, he brushed the hair away from her delectable neck so he could kiss the smooth expanse of skin. She remained immobile in his arms, but he felt her shudder a bit when he nipped her. “You taste better than anything sweet.”
Tiernan pushed down the strap of the gown that had been teasing him since he walked into the room, displaying most of her right breast in the process. He cupped it in his hand, rubbing the nipple gently to coax a response. Her breathing increased the longer he stroked her, but she remained as motionless as a statue.
Going for a sneak attack, he suddenly lifted her into his arms, where she would find it impossible to remain so stiff. She refused to look at him as he strode to the bedroom, and he found he missed the easy access to her lips. It seemed unlikely there would be any kissing tonight though. He had to focus on breaking her mental resistance before there could be much in the way of tender intimacies.
He stripped the gown from her, which proved more difficult than he would admit, since she remained passive the entire time. It was like undressing a corpse.
As he took off his boots and the rest of his clothes, he watched her, seeing her gaze never left the canopy. Perhaps he should order a mirror put up there. That would give her a harder time shying away from looking at their entwined bodies. Imagining her anger with him doing so made his lips twitch. He was sick to be enjoying their contest, but he couldn’t deny her resistance gave him a thrill—probably because he knew she was having as much trouble resisting her own impulses. Had she been truly reluctant, the scenario wouldn’t have been fun or sexy.
Tiernan rejoined her on the bed, stroking and kissing her to storm her castle, so to speak. Her breathing grew ragged, and her cheeks flushed, but she held out a long time before giving him any other response. It wasn’t until his hand had brought her almost to orgasm that she finally crumbled, moaning and arching against him. After that, they fell together in a frantic heap, both eager for the other.
When it was over, he pulled her against him, settling her in his arms. She felt perfect there. Madison didn’t speak to him, but he was optimistic. He had conquered her feeble rebellion. Now that she knew it was futile to bother with the pretense of not wanting him, he didn’t expect there to be any further problems with his new companion.
*****
Thirteen days. Tiernan clenched his teeth together as he clutched his wineglass. He kept his brooding gaze on Madison as she ate her dinner with delicate motions and a complete lack of conversation. The woman was damned stubborn and had held out for thirteen days so far.
Oh, he could make her come, and she would eventually give in to his seduction attempts, but the victory felt hollow. In all other ways, she resisted him passively or acted as if he didn’t exist. He was at the crazy point of thinking talking with her was better than sex, at least the kind of sex they’d been having. The first couple of nights spent overwhelming her defenses had been fun, but the sparkle had faded. By last night, he hadn’t really wanted to have sex with her, but he knew he couldn’t surrender even a skirmish in their war.
Not that he didn’t want her. God, he was aching for her right now. It was just lacking. Perhaps if they hadn’t had such an amazing first night together, he would have been satisfied with the physical coupling, but it was empty. Hollow.
And the silence was maddening. In a sudden fit of anger he couldn’t contain, Tiernan tossed the glass he’d been holding against the stone fireplace. Her eyes widened, and she lost that distant look he so hated. “Talk to me, Madison.”
“What would you like to discuss?” The tone was cool and polite as ever, but her hand trembled a little when she reached for her wine. “Perhaps wine?”
That sign of her fear of him just made him angrier, though he wanted to regain control. “Not wine. Nothing impersonal that lets you remain aloof. You haven’t spoken more than ten words to me in the past hour. Probably no more than a hundred since you came here.”
Madison’s mouth tightened. “Fine, why don’t we talk about how my family needs me? My mother is sick and has been for the last three years. My papa, Cam, and I are trying to keep things together. Rosie is the wild child of the village, probably sleeping with anything that asks, because she’s hurt and angry that Momma is sick. She’s even more hurt now that I’ve abandoned her.”
“You didn’t abandon her.” He came to crouch beside her, though she still wouldn’t look at him.
She rolled her eyes. “That’s not how she’ll see it. They have no idea you threatened their lives if I didn’t come with you. I had to write them a letter full of optimism and excitement for my new life. They all think I ran off with you, and I sure can’t tell them any differently.” A tear slipped down her cheek, and he reached up to wipe it away. Madison flinched from his touch, and he cursed.
“I’m sorry, okay? It wasn’t right to force you to come here. Just stop acting so cold, and I’ll give you anything you want.”
She turned to him, sadness still in her gaze. “I want to go home.”
He shook his head, not even considering it. “Anything but that. Stay with me because you want to, not because you have to, but you are staying.”
Madison scoffed. “How is that voluntary?”
�
�It’s not.” He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “I know it’s not fair, and I should let you go, but I can’t.”
She shook her head. “But, why?”
“I don’t know.” He made the declaration so forcefully that she drew back from him. Lifting his hand, he touched her cheek and softened his voice. “I can’t. You have to stay with me, but I want you to be happy. What can I do to make that happen?”
She bit her lip, clearly torn on how to answer. “How could I be happy here? I’m confined to this room all day, alone except for the time you and I spend together. That’s hardly enjoyable, is it?”
He groaned. “You can have free run of the city, but only with an escort.”
She wrinkled her nose. “How is that freedom if I still have a jailor?”
Tiernan sighed. “It’s for your own safety. Single women don’t go out alone here. It’s too dangerous. Just ask Cleo. I always send a guard with her too.”
After a moment, she nodded. “Okay, what will that cost me?”
He cursed again. “I hate how you make this a business transaction.”
With a scowl, she asked, “What else would you call it, Tiernan? You saw something you wanted, negotiated the price—and everyone has one—and now want to change the terms. So, what does a measure of freedom cost me?”
A pain pierced his chest, but he kept his expression cool. “Fine, look at it that way. It costs you some pleasant company. I expect conversation over dinner, genuine ask-and-answer, like two civilized people.” His eyes narrowed. “And I want you to drop the pretense that you don’t want me. We both know sex can be amazing, and I want that back, like you were the first night, instead of this automaton that starts out in my bed every night.”
After a moment, she nodded. “I’ll try to make conversation and act like the companion you want, but I am still so angry with you right now that I want to kill you half the time.”
He lifted his brow. “And the other half?”
With a sigh, she put her hand on his shoulder. “I want to tear off your clothes.”
Tiernan chuckled. “Let’s work on that response.”
Chapter Six
Tiernan had kept his word, she discovered the next morning. Cleo arrived just after breakfast with several outfits that were appropriate for going out. When she peeked out the opened door behind the other woman, there was no sign of the soldier who’d been her guard the past two weeks. She exhaled with relief, though she still wasn’t confident their bargain could work. How was she supposed to try to be happy with him when her family needed her?
She pushed aside the thoughts that had whirled through her brain most of the night to focus on her friend. Cleo invited her to tea that afternoon, and she accepted, deciding it would be her first test run of her newly returned freedom. Even though it was just down the hallway in a sitting room, it would be good to get out of the confines of her room.
After Cleo left, she put away the outfits and took a bath, finding ways to fill the rest of her morning as she had the past two weeks. While she wanted to throw open the door and go outside, she didn’t want to have to find a guard to take her off the premises, and she still wasn’t confident that Tiernan really meant to honor his side of the agreement. No, she would start with tea today and ask Cleo about an outing tomorrow. After she’d gone out with her a few times, she would be better acquainted with the area.
And have an easier time escaping? The thought popped into her mind with an insidious little whisper. She had meant it when she’d promised to try, hadn’t she? Madison didn’t believe in lying or not honoring her word, but did the circumstances exempt her from keeping the bargain? Her head ached trying to sort it out. What was the right thing to do in the situation, when she was torn between so many conflicting needs—her family’s need for her presence, Tiernan’s need for her body, and even her own need for his? Was sex a good enough reason to shirk her familial duty, or was she obligated to attempt escape?
No closer to sorting out the mess, she stood up from the settee at five minutes before the appointed meeting time with Cleo. A quick look in the mirror revealed the floral skirt and yellow shirt she’d chosen were still fresh. She had no idea what one wore to tea and had guessed simply based on the flowing dress Cleo had worn the first day they’d met. A dress had seemed perhaps too formal for tea with a friend, so she had opted for the skirt and blouse instead.
She left the suite, almost missing the young soldier who’d kept watch on her. Finding ways to harass him had been one of the few bright spots in her day, and she suspected they had become a bit of one in his day too. He’d often had to hide his grin as she’d teased or tortured him. It was a strange sort of friendship they’d established, since she didn’t even know his name and probably never would now.
Following Cleo’s directions, she found the sitting room easily. Madison stepped inside and paused, taken aback to see four other women besides Cleo seated around a round table with a white tablecloth. She swallowed a lump in her throat, suddenly nervous. She hadn’t expected to have to deal with new faces. Forcing a small smile, she walked to the table, taking the only free chair. “Hello,” she said in a general way.
The other women smiled, and Cleo said, “Hello. Ladies, this is Madison Cole. Madison, meet Layko, Ashandi, Esme, and Nina.”
Maybe it was paranoia, but she could swear there was a hint of resentment in the gaze one of the women directed toward her. All four sets of eyes displayed blatant curiosity, perhaps touched with a bit of puzzlement. Reassuring herself that she was just as curious about who they were didn’t help her nerves settle.
It was only when Cleo had poured a cup of tea from the pot and passed it around to everyone that Madison got an inkling who the others were. As soon as she smelled the tea, she recognized it as the daily contraceptive she had to choke down every afternoon. Grimacing, she swallowed it in a couple of gulps, noting most of the women did the same. The pieces of the puzzle clicked into place. The most likely reason they were all taking contraceptive tea together was—
“Welcome to the flavor of the month,” said the one Madison tentatively identified as Nina. Her blatant hostility gave her face an unappealing quality, though she was technically striking, with a fall of straight black hair and dark eyes that contrasted beautifully with her pale skin.
A sick feeling crept into her stomach as she examined the women with new eyes. Tiernan must like variety. He had a woman from all the major groups—Asian, African, Indian, Hispanic, and Caucasian. Considering he already had one white girl, why had he picked her? Was that why Nina was so antagonistic? Did she think Madison was her replacement?
Her first instinct was to reassure the other woman that she didn’t want to supplant her, but she didn’t say anything. It occurred to her that she very much wanted to get rid of the other woman. Rid of all them, at least in their current roles. If Tiernan expected her to give up her entire life to be his plaything, it wasn’t unreasonable for her to want him to get rid of the harem, was it?
“Nina,” said Cleo in a sharp tone. “Don’t be such a bitch.”
Nina rolled her eyes. “Why do you care, Cleo?”
“Use your head,” said the Asian girl. Layko? “Miss Cole clearly has favor with the commander at the moment. Stay on her good side.”
Madison set down her cup and started to push back her chair. She’d had enough of the probing examination. This wasn’t a tea party. It was an attack. “If you’ll excuse me…”
Cleo put a hand on her arm. “Please stay, Madison.”
“Yes, do,” said Ashandi. “It’s not your fault one of his other companions has crossed lines.”
After a second, she eased back against the chair again. “What lines?”
“Ashandi,” said Nina, scowling, “Keep your theories to yourself.”
With a scoffing sound, Ashandi took the next cup of tea Cleo had poured, this one from a different pot. “They aren’t theories. You have grown too possessive of Tiernan, Nina. You risk your posi
tion in his life with your actions. Jealousy will be your end.”
Esme sipped her new cup of tea, nodding. “I’ve seen it before, chica.”
“So have I,” said Cleo, passing Madison another cup. “I’ve lost count of the girls Tiernan has discharged from his service because they couldn’t control their emotions and made a scene about sharing him.”
Madison stared glumly at her tea. Asking Tiernan to dispense with his other bedmates was one thing she couldn’t do…unless she wanted him to send her home. It should have been the perfect solution, but she found herself reluctant to try the strategy, though she couldn’t figure out why.
“How long do you have to stay after he selects you?” she blurted. Seeing several blank looks, she tried to clarify. “I mean, is there a contract for length of service?”
